


Handle With Care

by cuddlycathar



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: 0 fucks given, F/M, Sorry Not Sorry, What Have I Done
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-08-17
Packaged: 2018-04-06 20:13:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4235073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cuddlycathar/pseuds/cuddlycathar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's always that one male companion everyone wishes was a romance option. Scourge, Zenith, or maybe... Tanno? The resident Weequay and newest addition to Havoc Squad has Taahl, its human commander, a little bit wary and a lot confused.</p><p>TL;DR A collection of ficlets about Tanno Vik and the Female Trooper vaguely assembled into somewhat of a plot</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All characters belong to Bioware, EA, and Disney

“Garza out.”

Taahl released an audible breath she had been holding, placing both her hands on the holoterminal. The tension hung stagnant in the air, and her whole crew was silent as they shuffled back to their duties, plastoid boots clanking on the durasteel floor. Even Jorgan knew not to press the issue, although she could feel his cold glare at the back of her head before he too exited- _probably to go brood_ , she thought.

She forced her face into a sort of half smile as she pushed off the terminal, turning to look at the smug Weequay in her galley. Vik’s ominous presence and stature did little to hide the fact that he was satisfied with himself after thoroughly causing an outburst from her XO. He was leaning against the wall with his arms behind his back, obviously trying to avoid her eyes. He’d almost be a bit of a bastard if he wasn’t so useful. Almost.

When she turned around he stood himself up off of the wall to loom over Taahl, jerking his head in the direction of the crew’s living area.

“So, are you gonna give me the grand tour or what? I’m just dying to get back to the infamous, er- hospitality of the Republic.” Vik’s voice was dripping with sarcasm, its low, gruff timbre a rumble. It was a nice sound, one that Taahl wouldn’t object to getting used to. She shook her head, pulling her head out of the stars to wave him along into the crew’s quarters.

“Yea, of course Vik. Follow me.”

There wasn't much of the Thunderclap to see, it was a straightforward military craft built for soldiers who never stayed in it for long and weren't privy to comfort, which described the crew of Havoc to the letter. Vik just nodded or gave an affirmative grunt as they passed through the briefing room and the medbay, although he did stop to check the galley cabinets for liquor, and, finding them empty, scoffed and continued lumbering after her. Taahl ended the tour and stopped inside the supply room last, gesturing around to the prototype missiles and explosives she’d reluctantly agreed to bring back from Balmorra.

“And I’m sure this is where you’ll be spending most of your time.”

He was already salivating like a kath hound as he paced around the stock and ran his thick hands over the supply crates as if they were his lover or something.

“I can’t wait to inventory these babies,” he said as his blue, sunken eyes skimmed across their stock of ordnance. She rolled her eyes to herself, _men and their toys_. At some point Vik seemed to remember that his commanding officer was in the room and walked around to face her. He had that complacent look on his face again as he leaned one shoulder into the supply locker and folded his arms across his chest mischievously.

“This is just too good. I get slick equipment, a nice ride, and a ready supply of every kind of explosive in the galaxy.” Taahl shrugged. She had too easily forgotten he was mostly in the army for the credits and big guns.

“I suppose being in the top squad in the Republic has its perks. But don’t forget we’re here to do a job, Vik.”

He brushed off her commanding tone nonchalantly,

“Yeah yeah. Trust me, you keep me happy, I’ll keep you happy.”

This piqued Taahl’s interest, and she cocked an eyebrow at his choice of words. She trusted the rest of her crew with her life; was she really going to let a man with questionable morals she hardly knew a few weeks ago get close?

_Ah, kriff it. S’not like this is going anywhere._  Or so she thought. _Besides, a little excitement never killed a woman stuck on a ship with two model soldiers and a droid._

Taahl held her tongue in her teeth, chuckling a little as she imitated his relaxed stance.

“Oh really? And how do you plan on doing that Vik?” She could see the wheels in his head turning, his usual smirk widening into a near grin.

“I like your angle Captain.” He stepped forward and looked down at the woman. Taahl wasn’t what you might call a waif, but Vik made her look like a scrawny teenager with his massive build hovering over her. The way his already husky voice seemed to drop an octave when he was up to no good made his presence feel that much more invasive, and when he spoke again his head was tilted down to hers so he could whisper in her ear. “But just because you could kill a man with your bare hands and’ve got that pretty red hair of yours doesn’t mean you should play with fire.”

Vik had pulled away before she could retort, the bony ridges along his jaw ghosting across the delicate skin of her neck. Just like nothing had never happened he turned his back to her to start opening cases of Balmorran explosives, calling out from across the room to her. “Now if you’ll excuse me Captain, I’ve got some very nice weaponry here that needs my attention- well, if we’re done here that is.” The several long braids he wore flipped over one shoulder when he turned his head to look at her with his best impression of innocence, the question lingering in the air.

_Damn that smile_ , Taahl thought, but her expression stayed determined as she inspected his face.

“Dismissed.” She turned the corner out of the room and heard Vik’s snicker as she passed just out of earshot, something that sounded like pleased sarcasm.

“Heh, yes ma’am”


	2. Chapter 2

Vik fumbled with the screwdriver, finally popping open the metal casing on the baradium charge. As slow and as gentle as a mother’s caress, he traced one finger across the exposed wire to check for condensation. Finding none, he closed the explosive back up and checked off another tick on his inventory list.

_Maybe if these kriffing special forces types knew how to transport explosives in a temperature controlled environment I would already be done with this shit._

A pestering groan came from his stomach. Tanno sighed and closed up the last of the crates before wandering off to find the where the kitchen was again. At least Havoc Squad might have better grub than the resistance.

When he came to the galley he stopped to lean suggestively against the doorframe, his trademark smirk returning to his face. The captain was engrossed in the datapad she was reading, sipping steaming caf from a mug that said “I Heart Coruscant” on it.  

She hadn’t noticed him come in, and he had an unadulterated view of a very attractive redheaded female hunched over at just the right angle so that he could see down the loose neckline of a military academy t-shirt. He wasn’t normally one for righteous types, or authority for that matter, but the Captain was easy on the eyes even so.

At the back of his mind there was a very small, very neglected voice saying, “You’re a damn pig, Tanno. That’s your commanding officer,” but he ignored it as usual. Where was he? Oh, right. Tits.

He slid into the booth across from her, his large chest awkwardly smashed into the counter. Taahl looked up from her work when he sat down and gave him a friendly smile, her ginger ponytail bouncing along with her head.

“Good morning Tanno, if you’ve come for breakfast I’m afraid we’re a bit short, although I don’t think Jorgan would mind if you stole one of those awful energy puddings of his.” He didn’t even bother trying to hide his disgust. He knew the brass were cheap, but even the top squad didn’t get real food? Tough.

“I- uh, I think I’ll pass boss.”

Taahl shrugged and went back to sipping her caf. She was subconsciously chewing on her bottom lip, and the way her tongue would sometimes sweep across her rosy pink pout was leading his mind in other directions besides breakfast. Tanno wouldn't mind having her for breakfast, but that was out of the question. She wasn't trashy enough.

He leaned forward on the table, it was time to talk some business.

"So boss, a bunch of credits just came through from a weapons deal I had going on Balmorra." She was looking at him suspiciously, one hand scratching the short scar on her left cheek. "Uh, another weapons deal I had going on Balmorra."

He threw a credit chip down on the table to her. She looked taken aback and didn't move to take it.

Tanno nudged the plastic card forward. "This is your cut."

Taahl exhaled slowly and leaned her face on one propped hand. She was silent for a moment, then her gaze flicked back up to meet his.

"Vik, you know I can't take these. This goes against everything we stand for!"

_Figures._ And here for a second he thought they could work together. It didn't matter much to him anyway.

“Don’t go against nothing I stand for. Give em to a charity, throw em out the airlock for all I care. You’re the new boss, boss. You get a cut no matter what."

Her stormy gray eyes traveled down to the chit on the table; she still made no move to take it. He cocked a lazy half-smile, he’d noticed the effects of his charms on her, especially after the previous night. Besides, he’d seen the look she currently wore before, when someone weighed the options and inevitably gave in to temptation. He had honestly expected more of a challenge from the commander of Havoc Squad, hell, wasn’t she supposed to be this bastion of Republic goodness? And yet here he was, a scumbag pyromaniac, propositioning the infamous Captain Wayland with a few credits.

If there was anything Tanno had learned growing up on Nar Shaddaa it was that deep down, everyone was a selfish bastard. Some just showed it more than others.

Her calloused, lightly tanned hand slipped forward across the table at last, gripping the chip and clutching it to her chest.

_Bingo._ Most women made a habit of giving in to him eventually anyway.

She was mere inches from his face in a flash, having leapt up from her seat and slammed her hands down onto the table. They were eye to eye, and hers were nothing less than piercing as she snapped at him.

“We’re here to take down the Gauntlet Vik. What you do in your free time is none of my business, but until this mission is complete you will give me one hundred percent. These ‘deals’ are inexcusable distractions, and they end now.” Her hand shoved the credit into his chest, and it fell into his hands in his lap when she resumed her seat at the other side of the booth.

“Are we clear?”  Tanno ran one hand across the bony ridges of his jaw, trying to process what just happened. The fact that his mind was clouded and half aroused from her dominant outburst wasn’t helping much.

_So she’s a wild card eh?_

He leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table, fingers laced together.

"Crystal."

She gave him a curt nod and then she was back to her datapad, biting on the end of the stylus.

This was going to be interesting.

****  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thanks for reading! The next chapter is in honor of Rakghoul Week albeit a bit late(:


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know Raghoul Week was last week but I'm ignoring that hehe(: I'm trying to update at least once a week for you guys, but I'm splitting this little arc up into three parts instead of one mega chapter. As always thanks for reading!

The blue and white image of General Garza flickered in over the holoterminal.

“Captain, this is an urgent message. Do you copy?”

Taahl jumped up from what she was doing and rushed to the intercom. Her voice rang in all the corners of the ship, calling out to the crew.

“Havoc Squad, report to the deck, and double time it!”

Forex, Elara, and Jorgan were in the room just as fast as she was. Tanno reluctantly wandered in a few seconds later, wearing a worn out body glove and in no hurry. Taahl ignored him and returned to parade rest as Garza continued the briefing.

“At ease Captain. Your work securing the  Safecrackers is commendable, however I have one final mission for you before you can retrieve your final crew member on Hoth.” She could hear Tanno muttering something under his breath at her back.

“Figures. There’s always ‘just one more’.”

She sighed and shot him a commanding glare over her shoulder.

_Apparently the extent of his ‘following orders’ only went as far as me._

“You will speak only when spoken to Specialist.” Garza’s tone turned icy and patronizing when she addressed him. Of course, he stayed as smugly unimpressed as ever. “Now Captain, for your assignment. You recall your dealings with the rakghouls on Taris, do you not?”

Taris had been her first posting after the defection. After narrowly escaping the jaws of a hungry rakghoul on many occasions she wasn’t keen on returning.

“Yes, General. Although, with all due respect, what do they have to do with us?”

The General’s white capped brows furrowed, the wrinkles from stress and age becoming more prominent.

“I don’t like sending Havoc on missions this dangerous outside the Republic, but the galaxy could be in peril without you. An unmarked shuttle carrying rakghoul plaguebearers has crashed somewhere in the Dune Sea unnoticed. They have bred rapidly and tunneled beneath the surface of the planet where the plague grew to sizes we’re still unsure of.”

_This was bad, really bad._

Garza cut off her train of thought with even worse news.

“The Hyland Organization for Rakghoul Neutralization, also known as THORN, has issued a travel ban on all travel to and from Tatooine, but that isn’t stopping the infected from bringing the fight to the cities. They can’t contain, treat, and fight off an infection of this magnitude alone. THORN needs more volunteers if they are to keep the plague from spreading to other worlds.”

Silence filled the room as the gravity of the situation sunk in. Taahl stared up at the holo, her steel gray eyes glinting with determination. She had seen what the plague did to its hosts, the pain it inflicted as they transformed into monsters.

She would not let any more die. Not on her watch.

“You can count on us General.”

“Good. Contact Tralie Masoon at the triage tent outside of Anchorhead when you arrive.”            

As soon as the holocall disconnected the ship was plunged into organized chaos as the entire crew geared up and gathered supplies for a full on assault. Taahl herself went up to the bridge to set course for Tatooine, and as soon as the ship launched into the blue-white blur of hyperspace she would join the din of the others.

On her way out she almost pummeled straight into Tanno, who was standing at the top of the stairwell, effectively blocking her path. He wasn’t suggestively smirking at her, or even looking at her, just staring out the viewport into space with his arms crossed. An awkward moment of silence passed between them before he spoke, still gazing blankly.

“So, you fought these things before, huh boss?” The seriousness in his voice was unlike him.

“Yes," she replied cautiously, "and they’re very dangerous creatures.” He gave a small nod before returning to silence. _This was getting more uncomfortable by the second._  Taahl shifted on her feet before interrupting his pensive moment.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me Vik, I-”  

He cut off her sentence gruffly and moved out of the doorway.

“Yea, right. Better get moving then Captain.” She made it partway down the stairs before he called after her.

“Hey boss!” She turned around, her auburn hair whipping across her shoulder.

“I got your back out there.”

They made eye contact for a split second before he was gone, back on the bridge.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I can't believe its been a month since I wrote on this story! Between my birthday, school shopping, and getting ready for college its been hard to find time to update. Have no fear, Tanno and Taahl are back(:

The sand whipped relentlessly at her helmet. Its harshness was only outmatched by the wind, screeching past them as they traveled. Taahl gunned the throttle on the speeder just as the enormous figure of the Spike appeared over the ridge. The immense desert dwarfed the drill, but its ominous stature still made her uneasy.

As they came closer she could pick out more and more figures dressed in black and green armor buzzing around the drill that didn’t even notice them pull in amongst their frantic working. The four speeders powered down in unison, engines whirring to a halt.

Her boots slid through the sand as the team made their way to the cramped elevator leading down to the tunnels. Taahl brushed her fingers gingerly at the injection site on her neck, from a vaccine at the triage center, just as the lift lurched into motion.

Aric, Elara, and Tanno were silent during the never-ending descent into the tunnels, save their breathing. The mineshaft was claustrophobic, too small for them all to fit comfortably. _This was a war zone. They knew better than anyone that war wasn't comfortable._

That didn't stop her from gasping as the durasteel door slid open.

Infected volunteers were stretchered past them, groaning in agony. Young raklings clawed at their metal cages, illuminated by the oozing green flora that filled the cavern. Taahl wondered how a place filled with life could reek so strongly of death.

She grit her teeth and made for the small tent set up as a briefing room, touching the comm button on her helmet to call out to the others.

“Havoc Squad, help where you can, but stay put. I'll be right out.”

She peeled open the tent’s door flap and stepped inside. A young man, not much older than her from the look of it, had just hung up a holo and shooed her over to a messy table. His voice was modulated through the containment mask.

“Ah, you must be the commander of Havoc Squad, come in!” She watched with patience as he fumbled through the paper refuse on the mission center before unrolling a large map.

“Give my regards to General Garza for sending such capable volunteers. We need all the help we can get.” The deep bags under his eyes widened as he smiled at her before going back to organizing his things.

_Kriff, when was the last time these people slept?_

She replied in her normal commanding tone, ignoring the chaos of everything around them.

“It's a pleasure, sir. My team is outside awaiting orders.”

“Well, I'm sure they've already found someone that needs help, no shortage of problems around here you see.” He chuckled as he spoke, in an almost cynical fashion. “Have a seat, Captain. Containment Specialist Juno by the way.”

She sat herself at the mess of a briefing table, careful not to knock over one of the data pads leaning precariously over the edge.

“Now, I have a special request for you Captain, aside for kill everything that doesn't move on two legs, that is.”

His gloved finger tapped an area on the map he laid out. It was deep in the caves, labeled “Primary Breeding Grounds”.

“This,” Juno’s brown eyes drove into her and his voice became solemn, “is going to stop the outbreak.”

Taahl ran a finger over her lip pensively. Any sort of breeding grounds would be crawling with rakghouls for sure, too many to pick off on their own.

“What are you suggesting? A frontal assault?”

He pushed off the table and paced with his hands behind his back.

“No no, that would be preposterous Captain. General Garza tells me you have the best explosives expert in the Republic military, is that so?”

She had almost forgotten about Tanno, given how quiet he was being today. He was probably trying to haggle a volunteer into a game of pazaak or something, now that she put an end to his shady weapon deals for the time being. Even so, the rest of the crew was uneasy about even bringing him on this mission.

 _Not that you mind_ , she thought.

Taahl silenced her conscience and focused on the briefing.

“Yes, our Vik is exceptional at what he does.” She cleared her throat, eager to get on with the mission specs. “But, if I may ask, isn’t detonating explosives underground risky Specialist?”

“Hm?” He stared at her like what she had just said was ludacris. “Oh, yes of course, it’s safe! Don’t you worry Captain, we sent our best geological probes down to survey for weak points.”

After seeing  how deranged Juno was, she wasn’t convinced.

“Ah, right.  So what are we doing, if you don’t mind me asking?”                   

The holocom on the table beeped insistently before he could answer. He picked it up and thrusted a datapad at her with his other hand.

“Listen, I’m really sorry. My intern died last week, and I’d love to continue this briefing, but I gotta take this call. The datapad has a full mission readout and the technical data on the caves. Good luck Captain.”

Taahl took that as her cue to leave, the pad in her hand.

_Things were getting weirder by the second._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really sorry about my absence, I want to try and get a more steady update schedule in but you know how irl stuff goes. Don't worry though, I'm still thinking of you guys, and feel free to drop me a message if you're wondering about the next chapter! Also, some of you may have heard KotFE rumors about companions that will be discontinued: I do not plan on playing or writing this story into the new new expansion. So that's that and see y'all next time(:


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